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Friday, June 30, 2017

[Not staged at all. We were getting ready to go somewhere and I told Peyton to get the camera set up and we could take the family picture after I finished nursing Sallie and he was like "you've done it all over the city, let's just take the picture while you're feeding her. Of course I agreed and it was fun to document for posterity's sake.]

This week was full of some really, really bad days and some really, really good days. Overall, it was very special but it wasn't easy (more with logistical stuff and with the kids crashing
and burning fifteen times each than with my own emotional state).

Peyton
and I somehow didn't read the fine print and the conference that was a
big part of the reason we're in town now didn't have childcare like in
years past. It's really more my thing and Peyton was
SO generous to take care of the kids solo alot these past couple of
days and I've enjoyed it more by myself that I thought I'd be able to.
And all five of us got to go to the dinner/dancing/visiting portion last
night. I didn't see it coming, but I knew by the end of the week I would be sad
to leave. Which felt comforting and familiar and would have broken my
heart more if I didn't.

I also realized, and it made me so sentimental, that right before we moved home two years ago we went to Coney Island one last time on the same weekend as Mockingbird. So exhausting but so amazing!

Monday started our last full week in New York. We had planned to go to a museum, but it was one of the few non-rainy days that week, so we hit up the Pier playgrounds. We got a slow start and we didn't end up staying that long. Both big kids seemed sort of tired and actually, Annie seemed a little sick. Her head was hurting and she seemed so sleepy. We stayed a bit and then headed home to rest. Peyton grabbed a few groceries and we came home and relaxed. The big kid had media time and we all had a snack and then I talked to Peyton some. I did a short grammar lesson and a math lesson with Annie and left her with some work to do and got ready to go meet a friend. I fed Sallie and got her to sleep and Peyton did some schoolwork with Graves.

I had the best time visiting with my friend, Anna. We got coffee and just caught up for a couple of hours. When I got home, the kids were eating supper. I ate something, too, and got Sallie to bed. P was one the phone with the airline and Annie had the hardest time going to sleep. Graves had already fallen asleep and I read to her a bit and then she went to bed finally. I worked on a post and went to bed just after midnight.

We had a fun day on Tuesday. We all woke up and got ready and ate breakfast. I got the beds made and then we headed to the Natural History Museum. We packed snacks and stayed for several hours.

These two chicks were, believe it or not, actually not the craziest people on the C train. (The guy screaming the F word and slinging a can beat us- this time.)

Family picture with conservationist and twenty sixth president of the
United States, Theodore Roosevelt, at our favorite museum.

She spotted something beautiful in the "birds native to New York" area..

This day brought us back to our old friends the Southeastern
and Woodland Plains Indians. Like many things this month, it felt so
familiar and so different. Annie can read herself (and for the most
part, understand) the information that's part of the displays. I'd read
each tiny clothing label and each lengthy explanation of their various
abodes to her two or three times at least another lifetime ago when she
was five years old and we lived here. Today, I sat back and asked her to
report to me the things she found interesting and we discussed it. Here
we were talking about how the Indians gradually began incorporating
European styles and fabrics into their dress. We were discussing which
thing looked original to the Native Americans in style and material and I
asked her which ones she liked. She said "I love his hoodie. And I
definitely think he used an animal to make it."

Everyone had a great time in the Discovery Room, even Sissy. She spent a
little while doing these puzzle things where you can feel the animal's
fur under the pieces. Annie spent a good chunk of time doing a classification activity and Graves
loved looking at a snake specimen and his own fingers under a microscope that
projected on a screen.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Annie Owlet, Sammy, and the owls of the American Museum of Natural History

Annie saw the peregrine falcon and immediately said "Look! Like
Frightful!" (from My Side of the Mountain- probably one of her very
favorite books she's read this year).I'm not like huge
Charlotte Mason aficionado (I just need more structure) but I think
there's SO much merit in a "living books" approach. Several recent
interactions with Annie have really confirmed this for me.

When we got home, Sallie took a short nap and we all relaxed a bit. Then Peyton did some school with Graves and cooked supper and I did math, grammar, and vocabulary with Annie. We ate and I got Sallie to bed and we got Annie and Graves settled. Annie had the hardest time going to sleep. She finally fell asleep and I sent an email and a Facebook messanger, read a few blogs, and talked to Peyton. We went to bed after midnight.

Wednesday was a really low key day and we needed it. It was pouring rain all day and we got up and ate breakfast. I got my bath and made the beds and we headed over to the park across the street in the rain. We stayed for awhile and Sallie fell asleep. We transferred her and she took a long nap.

We all HAD to get out. I've posted so
many bright, fun pictures. And there was nothing
forced or fake about them; they were very true to our experience. But
this trip (as I've mentioned a ton at this point) really, really hard. Moreso than I was prepared
for. It felt like every behavior issue, every mental health struggle, every source of contention was been right at the surface. And it had me feeling a little bruised and raw. And I'm glad there's sunshine and glad there's rain. They are both
necessary for growth and we are the type creatures who don't notice the
sunshine without the rain.

Peyton and I relaxed and the big kids alternated taking baths and having lunch. Peyton left to go see some of his old co-workers and I did math and grammar with Annie. I worked on two blog posts and Sallie woke up. Everyone had a snack and Peyton got home. He did some school with Graves and then I did his math and P took Sallie to the grocery store. They got home and we got the big kids settled and got Sallie to sleep. I finished my blog posts and talked to Minnie on the phone and we watched a Law and Order marathon. I fell asleep around eleven and Peyton stayed up late. Sallie was up for over two hours at one point. It was a long night.

I traded off with Peyton on Thursday and slept until about nine. I got up and had breakfast and went ahead and started school with Annie. We did math and spelling and Sallie took a long nap. She woke up and I got my bath and ate lunch and then sorted laundry and headed to the laundry mat. I was there for a couple of hours and got some folded and some reading done.

When I got back, the big kids and Peyton got ready and headed to the park. I folded and put up some of the laundry, straightened, and ate a quick salad. Sallie and I met everyone at the park for awhile. I texted with a couple of friends and then we all came back and I got ready and fed Sallie and got her to sleep. I headed to Mockingbird. I got there and got settled in and the first talk was great. Dinner was wonderful and I got to visit with a friend and met a new one. I had a bad headache and was so tired the whole time, though. I hopped on the train around nine twenty and P and the kids met me at the station in Brooklyn since it was so late. I folded and put up the rest of the laundry, washed my face, and went to bed. Sallie slept great and I was SO thankful because I had a tough night

I got up early on Friday and got ready and got the kids clothes out and headed to Mockingbird. I grabbed a quick breakfast there and the first two talks were fantastic. I went to a morning breakout and loved it, too, and then it was lunch which was SO delicious.

Grace.

It's certainly been my experience that it is.

I decided to head back to BK after that. I skipped the afternoon sessions and texted some friends on the train. There were some delays and it took FOREVER to get home. When I got home, I talked to Peyton and decided not to go to the evening talk. We all got ready and headed back for dinner and the EpiscoDisco.

If you hate sleep anyway, you might as well be at the EpiscoDisco at ten pm.

Party Girl!

Bud and Babes having a moment at the Disco while our sweet fried Nia made sure Sissy
didn't bust her head open. Sallie loved Nia- she kept giving
her her sweet baby hugs and snuggling up to her! I love her little personality!

Warming up for the EpiscoDisco. I love Annie's little dance.

We had so much fun and got to visit with a lot of friends. We got home LATE (like past eleven) and all three kids had fallen asleep on the train. We woke up the big kids and made it home. I got Sallie changed and back to sleep and Peyton got the big kids settled. I did a few things on the computer and went to bed.

One big component of what was so hard about this trip is that at home adjusting to three
kids was a transition but it was it was not like this. Here one more
child feels like an exponential increase rather than an additional one. The trip made me very glad of two things: that there's room in
my heart to *deeply* love two places and that it's very clear where our
family will thrive the most right now. When we moved here, I had no
idea that intense love was possible and when we moved home I had no idea
that intense clarity was. Probably the biggest take away from the whole
trip.
I got up early again on Saturday and got myself ready and headed back to the conference. There were two morning talks and then a closing talk.

Clearly MBird has been a huge tool God has used to help me "trace the
rainbow through the rain" and this year, at the conference, I again felt that so strongly. I
know I was in good company- I saw grown men I respect greatly weep
over what God has done. I had decided not to go back on Saturday. But I
realized Nicole Cliffe, co-founder of The Toast, was speaking. Nicole was not a Christian until recently when "God
messed up her happy atheist life", which, for obvious reasons, interests
me. It was extremely
comforting. Sometimes I get the impression that people- kind, well intentioned
people- literally seem more distraught over Peyton's disbelief than if
he had died. Which I GET and don't fault them for (it can actually an
indication of how central faith is to them) but it's also...isolating. It's hard for me to feel like people can/do understand. That is NOT
anyone's fault. I was telling a friend that sometimes I feel more
comfortable talking to my friends who have (for example) addiction
issues or spouses with them because it's easier to relate. But as I've​
said, we all have areas of our lives where there is pain and brokeness. This trip certainly had it's dark moments, but it's also had an
abundance of rainbows and while it's so counterintuitive in some ways New York is where I feel safest.

It was really good and after that, I met Peyton and the kids at Jay Street Staion and we all headed to Coney Island for the afternoon. We had so much fun.

It was a windy Saturday in Coney Island! And it was Annie's special day in the
city. In some ways, I think she had the hardest time of all five of us
this month. She's a creature of habit and a lover of routine. Many of
my biggest flaws are her weaknesses- she can be inflexible and rigid and
stubborn and entitled and she wants so desperately to be in control.
But she's also really special and one of the most fascinating people I
know. Quirks abound and I will always be grateful I get
to know the intriguing little person she is. And ironically she also
often reminds me what it is to be delighted by small, ordinary wonder.
She told us that Saturday that her special day was better than she expected
because she didn't know how fun the roller coaster would be, she didn't
think we would let her take her shoes off and play in the sand, and she
didn't realize that the F train would go above ground. I'm
so glad our special girl had such a special day in a place so very
special to us.

They had so much fun riding the carousel, playing in the sand, eating
junk, and strolling on the boardwalk. Annie and I also went on her first
little roller coaster ride. It was faster than I expected and she LOVED
it. I did, too (Peyton's scared of them!).

Wonder.

Exhaustion.

Babes on the boardwalk

I think we can call it a successful first trip to Coney Island.

He was real serious the whole time and would do a tiny, nervous smile
each time he went by us. On the carousel with Annie he kept looking at
all the other kids and looking down to try to figure out how it worked.

There were Dippin Dots at the zoo the the week before but they were $6 for a
small and I just couldn't go there. Coney Island has knock off Dippin
Dots for $4 and (though absurd) I decided to splurge.

Annie and I had *the* best time on the dragon mini coaster. Peyton is literally scared of even this kind of ride!

We got home and Peyton fed the big kids supper. They both had baths and we got Sallie to sleep. We watched TV and Peyton fell asleep. I worked on a blog post and did some research on curriculum and then sent an email to some friends I was meeting up here.

We all got up and got ready for church on Sunday. We had breakfast and left. Graves decided he didn't want to go to Sunday school so he sat with us and Sallie slept the whole time almost. After church, we visited a good bit and went to Shake Shack on the way home. When we got home, we straightened the apartment, relaxed, and regrouped. Our friend Adam and his boyfriend came over to say hi for a quick minute on their way to the airport. We had snacks and got ready and then headed to the Brooklyn piers to meet our friends from Long Island, Barb and Kim. We visited and hit up a couple of playgrounds and then walked along the water. We went to Shake Shack for supper. We had a great visit and hugged them goodbye and headed home. The kids all went to bed really quickly and P and I watched TV and I worked on a blog post.

This was our last full week and we were sad to be leaving but also really, really excited to get back home and back to our normal life in Mississippi!

Monday, June 26, 2017

As I was catching up on my Weekly Happenings posts, I ran across this picture (and the caption I shared on IG).

1. We didn't have
enough going on trying to get ready to be gone for a month so P decided
to buy Annie a new bike on Craigslist.

2. I love it when Annie gets dressed in this fancy lady hat one of Minnie's best friends made her and her jams that legit look vintage inspired circa 1987.

3. She was wearing them to Mickey and Minnie's because Peyton also
decided we needed to go on a date before we had a month with no relief
from these folks. He's ALWAYS planning
friend get togethers so when he suggested it I was like "Sweetie, I just
don't think I can do a supper playdate with any friends the night
before our plane takes off at seven am." He was like "Good grief, a
playdate?!? A DATE DATE, honey. You absolutely do need to get out."
4. On the way home Peyton told Graves he could pack the iPad in his
carry on so it'd be easily accessible. Bud was like "I don't think that's
the reason. I think it's because you guys already crammed all the other
bags too full." He's so perceptive and was spot on. 5. Then Annie
goes "hey y'all, I know I'm awkward but..." and asked a question I don't
even remember because I was so intrigued by this introduction to it.
(Upon further investigation, she said that meant "weird and funny" and
is "sometimes good, sometimes bad" and then informed us she loved the
way s's sound in 'sometimes'.)

It's no secret I struggle thinking about Sallie getting big, but I love having big kids so very very much.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

This was such a fun week in New York. We didn't have anything big planned but we ended up hitting up a bunch of our favorite places- Cousin John's, The Bronx Zoo, The Museum of Natural History, and Central Library and Prospect Park. It was lovely!

We started out the week with a low key day on Monday. We all got up pretty early and I made both beds and then we cleaned up around the apartment. Peyton did dishes and I helped the big kids in their room where they had dumped out their Easter baskets. I hung up some clothes and did a few other things. Sallie was so fussy and I finally got a shower and had a snack. Peyton did some school with Graves and got a bath and Annie did her independent work and then we all got ready. We headed to brunch at one of our favorite places, Cousin John's, and then went to another playground.

I got to share my favorite brunch- the blintzes fro Cousin John's-
with my favorite baby girl. She's a real big fan of whipped cream and
she's real rotten. It's funny because, for the most part, we weren't doing anything especially exciting but I loved being back so much. It
just love the vibe and it clicked into place so much faster then it did
on our trip last year. I'm not sure if it was the weather or having the
kids here or what.

Bud and Babes enjoying the playground. I know it's expected, but Sallie's SO much more grown up than Graves or Annie were at ten months.

"Imma eat anything off the ground in Brooklyn that's in reach. Just FYI."

Annie
told me that morning that she loved this dress on Sallie. She does have
a thing for florals (I guess botanicals are a close second behind
animals) but I asked her why she loved it so much. "The purple color
reminds me of evening- it's like a sunset on a field of flowers".
What?!? I adore her weird sweet self.She also told us that she
has started to like Sallie more, partly because she's more fun to play
with now and partly because her hands aren't so drooly. I guess now that she was actually cutting two teeth, the five months or so of "teething"
she did were over for a bit?!?

We got home mid afternoon and the big kids had media time while Sallie took a nap.

Graves ran directly into the street without looking (he was following
Peyton and Annie but they were pretty far ahead of him AND instead of
crossing and then turning and crossing left he ran through the
intersection at a diagonal). This is why he was in a Tula at three
anytime when I had him and Annie by myself. Anyway, big discussion
(directly following discussion on where people who smoke cigarettes go
when they die-- (likely) in the ground but that's not the end of the story
because of the cross and the empty tomb). And he was back to holding a
hand for awhile. Annie volunteered and I was ever so grateful. I had
been holding his wrist because he's FILTHY. I actually had to move away
from him on the train. Along with self control, personal space is not
his strength. I do love to cuddle with him when he's nice and fresh but
unfortunately these days that lasts about five minutes. Fun Herrington Quirk- I used to joke that "lack of physical touch" was my love language.
Actually, Annie and I are just alike- we love to snuggle but it has to
be on our terms.

Minnie didn't know what a bodega was when I reference one so I had to get a pic. Ha!

Peyton and I just relaxed and then we both did school with the big kids. Annie and I did some grammar, vocabulary, and dictation and then Peyton cooked supper. We ate and P and Sallie went to Trader Joe's.

It's one thing to use the plates, utensils, bath towels and bed sheets
at your Airbnb. I mean, obviously. That's what you do. But it's a whole
'nother level of Voluntary Simplicity whenn you find unopened steaks in
the freezer from the previous guests, double check the date, and then
cook them for your fam.

Annie did a little critical thinking and I did some math with Graves. Graves had his media time and Annie played and I did a few things on the computer. I got them settled for bed and read some and Peyton got home. I changed Sallie and nursed her and got her to sleep.I read to the big kids- Bible, a devotion, and a chapter of Trumpet of the Swan. We did a history lesson and ethics lesson. They went to sleep and P and I ate and watched TV. I checked several math lessons Annie had done and Peyton went to bed. I read some blogs and worked on a post and went to bed.

I got up on Tuesday and scrubbed the tub and made beds. Peyton did school with Graves and everyone had breakfast and I did a math lessong with Annie and then got my bath while she worked. Peyton got ready and he and Graves ran a couple of errands. It took me a LONG time, but I got Sallie down for a nap and Annie and I did a bunch of English- phonics and spelling.

It's​ so interesting to me how Annie's mind works. I FINALLY got Sallie
to sleep (at this point, Peyton said he thinks she slept about ten hours in twenty
four on average and I pushed back but I was starting to think maybe that's
not undershooting it) sohad some time with just Annie while we did school. I didn't rush her as
much as I often, regrettably, do. Anyway, she told me that the "ers"
have different personalities. "Ur" is mean and burns things,
cuts fur off animals, and turns away when people are talking to him.
Really the only nice thing he does is going to church. "Ear" is kind and
searches for his lost sheep even though he has ninety nine more. He
loves the earth and yearns for it to be better and everything is heard
by him.
"Ir" is more ambiguous and can be good or bad. As I mentioned often,
she's not near as vocal as Graves (Goodnight, who is?!?) so I love it
when I really get some time to hear her imaginative, delightful
thoughts.
We did some reading and Peyton and Graves got home. Sallie woke up and everyone had media time. We were going to head to Prospect Park but it was really cold so we went to a bakery and got some treats instead and Peyton stopped at a used bookstore. We came home and Annie had a big meltdown. We all just had some chill out time and I cooked supper. We ate and then I cleaned up the kitchen. I did the big kids' nightly reading while Peyton got Sallie to sleep. Graves went to bed and I did school with Annie. I went to bed super early and woke up with a headache in the middle of the night.

Wednesday was a big day- we were going to the Bronx Zoo- and I felt SO bad. Peyton had gotten up a bunch with Sallie but I was so tired and had an awful headache. I got my bath and did a few things and got dressed. Peyton helped me get Sallie dressed and I fed her and grabbed a snack and we got going. I felt a lot better once I got some fresh hour but the train ride was kind of rough. It was over an hour. I ended up texting with Carrie and with Minnie a bunch. When we got there, we grabbed some muffins at a shop and headed to the zoo. We stayed several hours and saw a lot!

Big day back at the Bronx Zoo

We saw this trumpeter swan at the zoo and Annie was so fascinated
with him. In fact, he was mostly responsible for a mood shift after we
had a thirty minute stand off over using the potty ("Hi, my name is
Sarah Denley and the Lord is working on making me more humble because I
have three kids and my eldest is eight and we're still having the 'if
you see a potty, you go try at places like the zoo' arguments"). I overheard two guys talking and one said "I'm not taking a picture
of that" (sidenote: sooo many phones and tablets in front of people's
faces; it was kinda convicting). Then the other said to the kid with
them "that's just a regular bird". I felt a little defensive, partly
because, due to hunting, they ARE rare but also because he made me think
of Louis, the "defective" trumpeter swan with no voice that we've been
reading about in our current read-aloud.

Graves's biggest thing at the zoo was wanting to see a tiger. Not only was
the tiger really cool himself, but there were several neat interactive
things in the exhibit. Both kids loved the poacher truck that showed
various threats to tigers in the wild.

Another tough bird day...

We got home around five thirty and the big kids had supper and media time. Graves took a bath and Sallie played and had a big snack and I Instagrammed some pictures. Peyton had a conference call and I played with Sallie in our room and tried to get her to sleep. He got off and we traded and he got Sallie to bed and I snuggled with Graves while Annie took her bath. Peyton ran to the grocery store and we talked a little when he got back. I went to bed pretty early.

Thursday was a nice day. It didn't feel too busy, but we got a lot in. I got up and cleared my reader, took a bath, and straightened some and then I headed to the laundry mat. I washed a bunch of stuff including the sheets from our bed and the big kids' bed. It took a couple of hours but I read a bunch while I was there and got a lot folded. I got home and put up a bunch of stuff and made up the big kids' bed. Sallie was sleeping and when she woke up, I ate lunch and did my make-up and we got ready and headed to Central Library. We had a great time and then went to Prospect Park to play a little.

Reminds me of the old days (Peyton jokingly gave him a paci the other
day and when we took it back he got so upset and said, basically through
tears, "but it still tastes so good"). He AND Sallie are both always
gonna be the baby.

We stopped at McDonalds on the way home and then got the kid settled.

Sallie's first time to visit Central Library, Sallie's first time to
play at Prospect Park, and Sallie's first time to eat a McNugget in
Bed-Stuy.

Peyton tried to get Sallie to sleep and I read to the big kids a bunch and then nursed Sallie and got her to bed. Peyton and I got take out and I sent some emails and Facebook messages I needed to and we talked and snuggled and went to bed.

Sallie was up a couple of times but overall it wasn't a bad night. I slept about half an hour later than everyone else on Friday and then got my bath and dried my hair. I went through my email and reader and made a to-do list for May.

Guys, if your janky eight year old stroller breaks at the handle
sometime after you've checked it on the airplane, don't call it a total
loss, it will still function as a perfectly good high chair for the baby
who's been eating off the floor in your Airbnb for two weeks.

I got something to eat and then we all got ready and headed to the Museum of Natural History. Sallie slept the entire train ride (about forty minutes) and I read a little bit.

So NYC.

We had a good time there. We actually split up and P took Graves to see some animal displays and I took the girls so Annie could look through an Indian exhibit.

When we lived here, she was OBSESSED with Native Americans. Like wore
her hair in braids and hopefully didn't appropriate too much. One of her
absolute favorites in the city was visiting the displays at the Museum
of Natural History. But she always gravitated towards the
Southeastern/plains exhibits. This trip, we encouraged her to check out the
Northwestern Indians. It's a little more intense as you can probably
tell and has less of a "storybook" vibe. She was never scared of this
area but I think it was just a bit over her head or something
(incidentally, Graves had zero interest in it today and he is the age
she was then). At eight, she loved it and soaked up information
like a sponge!

We met back up in the gemstones area. We were there a couple of hours and knew we'd be back the next week, so we headed home. We all ate and then Peyton took Graves and Sallie to a park and I did a good bit of school with Annie. She did some math and I straightened and swept and then I worked on spelling and dictation with her. Peyton, Graves, and Sallie got back and he took a quick shower and then got Graves in the tub. I tried to get Sallie to sleep and Peyton left to see a play. It took a long time. I let her fuss (scream) for a bit so I could finish up some grammar with Annie. I worked on getting her to sleep some more and finally, after an hour, she conked out. Annie added some words to her spelling journal and then I showed her a few things on Instagram. Graves finished up his bath and Annie finished her media time and I started working on a post. I read to them for half an hour and then got them to bed.

I finished up my post and Peyton got home. We talked and Sallie woke up and we went to bed.

Poor Sallie had had a runny nose and on Saturday she got worse. She was coughing and fussy. Peyton ran a quick errand with her and I slept a little more since she had been up a lot in the night and I had gotten up with her. I took my bath and did a few other things and got the beds made while the big kids had media time. Peyton and Sallie got back and I got her down for a nap. Peyton and I talked some and I did Annie's math lesson and then worked on several posts while she did an exercise. Then I did English with her- we did some grammar and dictation and a bit of reading and then critical thinking. Peyton did school with Graves and Sallie woke up and played and had a snack and then took another short nap.

Motherhood in general, but specifically homeschooling, will never stop
being full of surprises. In this activity, I read one of the the two
words that are next to each other and Graves picked the correct one. He
told me another halfway down the page that he didn't need to actually
read both words he just knew that "a or whatever says it's long sound
when there's an 'e' on the end". I really, really thought he'd more or
less internalize all the rules and understand them but not
be able to explain them whereas Annie would be the one who could
describe why a word works the way it does. Honestly, I'm confident that
when she was at this point, she could not have articulated this so well
and certainly it wouldn't have occurred to her to save herself the
trouble of actually reading the words by just listening for the vowel
sound and looking for the silent e. Getting such a great look into how
their little minds work is such a delight.

After we finished school, P and I played with the big kids
some. Sallie woke up and we all got ready and went to the park for an
hour even though it had been raining and was soggy.

When you're used to having a backyard and having outside time is kinda
non-negotiable or your behavior becomes deplorable...trip to the water
park across the street.

[FWIW, Peyton swears rainy, cold weather does NOT make kids (or adults) sick, it's being cooped up inside that does that. Just so you'll know my rationale behind taking my sick baby to the park. And also that she needed mentally healthy parents and we ALL needed to get out.]

We got home and the big kids had baths and supper and we got everyone settled. We talked some and watched an SVU marathon and I fell asleep for about an hour and then woke up and was up until one. Sallie woke up at two thirty and was up until four thirty.

P got up with the kids and I got up at nine on Sunday. He and Sallie stayed home from church and Peyton helped me get the big kids ready. I got my bath and dried my hair and got ready and we got on our way. It was a wonderful service. When we got home, I visited with Peyton some and then I took a nice nap while he took all three kids to the park. When they got home, I did some school with Graves and he ran to the grocery store. He cooked supper and we all ate and then I bathed Sallie. We got everyone settled and I did my reading routine with the big kids. I called Minnie and worked on a blog post and read some.

Pulled out the sleeper sofa since Sickly Little Sallie was content in our room. Another reminder of our old days in BK!

Come ye sinners, poor and needy

Weak and wounded, sick and soreJesus ready stands to save youFull of pity, love, and power.

"The good news of this text is not 'don't be a doubting Thomas'.
The good news is that Jesus will not be stopped by our locked doors." -
Ben DeHart. It was good to be able to soak up so much beauty and truth.

About

Peyton and I have been married for just over six years. He is a pharmacist and I stay at home with (and homeschool!) our two children. Our little girl was born on April 2, 2009. She is amazing- beautiful, funny and smart. Then on April 12, 2011, we welcomed a little boy, Graves. We just adore him. I love getting to know my husband, my daughter, my son and my Lord more and more each day. Peyton and I met, fell in love, married, and had our two children in Mississippi. But, because it's always been a dream of Peyton's (and became a dream of mine), in February of 2014 we embarked on what we knew would be a temporary adventure to the Big Apple. We currently live in Brooklyn and are loving and learning and growing so much. But big pieces of all four of our hearts will always be in Mississippi and we know one day (not too far away) we will return. There is nothing like Brooklyn and there is nothing like Dixie and I am grateful to the Lord for giving me both. These are the best days of my life. Thank you for wanting to share in them.